Mistaken Intentions
by mdauben
Summary: When Harry recognizes his feelings for a certain redhead early in his sixth year, what will he do if it turns out she really is over him?
1. Mistakes

**Mistakes**

_A/N: This is an alternate story of Harry and Ginny's developing relationship in HBP. My story features a slightly more self-aware Harry, and a Ginny that has perhaps gotten over her crush a bit more than the character in the book actually did. Other events of the book are generally ignored so just assume that unless directly contradicted by my story these events take place in the background._

* * *

><p>Harry Potter had been thinking about Ginny Weasley a lot recently. After the death of his Godfather during the battle in the Department of Mysteries last spring, Harry had spent the beginning of his summer holidays back with his hated relatives, sinking into a profound depression. Most summers, Harry would be eager to leave Number Four Privet Drive as soon as possible in order to see his wizarding world friends again. This year, miserable as he was there, Harry had been almost dreading the end of his days at with the Dursleys. At least they mostly left him alone these days. When he did go to stay with the Weasleys, the first few days at the Burrow where every bit as uncomfortable as he had feared. He knew deep down that Ron and Hermione just wanted to help him, but the way they went about it only caused him to retreat deeper into his depression or sparked short lived but violent rages that left him drained and feeling even more guilty.<p>

But where his oldest friends seemed to be able to do nothing for him, the youngest Weasley seemed to know just how to handle him. Whether it was some quiet companionship, a distracting game of one-on-one Quidditch, or a swift kick in the arse when he was being too much of a self absorbed prat, she gradually dragged him out of his grief and despair and when he was finally ready to talk, she was there to listen without judging or trying to dig out and dissect his every thought and feeling. As the summer passed, he was able to spend more time with Ron and Hermione without every conversation degenerating into a fight, but he found himself more and more often seeking out Ginny's company. In some ways he started to take her presence in his life for granted and feel that she would always be there if he needed her.

The falsehood of that assumption was brought to his attention when she excused herself to go sit with some of her friends on the train back to Hogwarts at the end of the summer. Ron and Hermione where off on their prefect duties, leaving Harry sitting by himself for most of the ride. Even when the two prefects joined him later, he found himself missing Ginny's warm smile and quick wit.

Since returning to school, Harry still saw Ginny but with so much of her time taken up with classes, preparations for her OWLs and her school friends, he found himself really missing her. As the days passed, Harry began to realize that his feelings for Ginny were fundamentally different than those for Ron and Hermione. He wasn't sure but he realized that he wanted more from Ginny than he wanted from his other friends. Sometimes when she was around, it seemed like there was something in his chest that would wake up and rumble in pleasure. It wasn't just that she was pretty, although Harry could readily admit to himself at least that he found her very attractive. It was that she seemed to fill a hole in his life that he had not previously realized was even there. He wanted to let her know what his feelings for her were and to ask her if perhaps she still might feel anything for him besides friendship, so it was with this in mind that he tracked her down several weeks after the beginning of the term, after the first Hogsmeade weekend of the school year was announced.

"Hey, Ginny!" he called to her as he caught her on her way out of the Great Hall for her first class of the day, "Wait up a minute."

"Morning, Harry!" she replied, "What's up?"

"Well, you know the first Hogsmeade trip is this weekend?" he asked, "I think your brother and Hermione might be getting close to actually admitting the fancy each other, so I don't really want to tag along with them. I, uh… was wondering if you'd like to go together with me?"

"Sure, Harry!" she immediately replied with a smile. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'd love to."

"Brilliant!" he beamed, "I know we both have to get to class now, so we can talk about when to go and what we want to do later, yeah?"

"Okay, I'll see you later!" she said as she turned and ran to catch up with her classmates.

Harry had been rather nervous about asking Ginny to Hogsmeade, but he was quite excited at how well it had gone in the end. Turning in another direction he walked rapidly to his own first class, with a wide grin on his face. He was really hopeful that the talk with Ginny this weekend would go just as well.

* * *

><p>Harry and Ginny were both quite busy the rest of the week with lessons and homework, so they never had time for more than a quick greeting or a hurried wave between classes or after dinner. When Friday finally rolled around, Harry decided he could not wait any longer to talk to Ginny so they could firm up their plans for the following day. With this thought in mind, he found a chair in the Gryffindor common room where he could wait for her to come drop off her books before going down to dinner. Maybe they could even sit together in the Great Hall while they ate and talk about what they could do in Hogsmeade.<p>

As he sat there daydreaming about his coming day with Ginny, the young redhead came rushing through the portrait hole, book bag in her hand.

"Ginny! I was afraid I might have missed you again." Harry greeted her with a smile. "We still haven't had a chance to talk about what we are going to do tomorrow."

"Great! I was hoping I would run into you here, Harry" she replied. "I just need to make a slight change of plans and wanted to let you know"

"Uh, what do you mean change of plans? We're still going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, aren't we?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, sure!" she answered him, sitting down in a chair facing him. "The thing is, Dean Thomas just asked me if I would go on a _date_ to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow! I told Ron last year on the train home that I had picked Dean to replace that ponce Corner, but to tell the truth I mostly said that to wind Ron up. I did kind of fancy Dean, though, so I've been hoping he would notice me this year and he has!" she continued happily.

Harry felt like he had taken a Bludger to the stomach.

"So, what, you're just dumping me at the last minute to go with Thomas!" he asked her harshly.

Ginny seemed surprised by Harry's angry response.

"No, Harry!" she tried to reassure him, "I told him I had already promised to go with you as friends, so he suggested that he could come along with us both. I just thought that later in the afternoon you wouldn't mind if Dean and I spent some time off alone."

Friends. Harry had built up all these fantasies in his mind about this weekend, and all the time Ginny thought they were just going as _friends_.

"Why the bloody hell would you just assume that it was okay for Thomas to come along without even the courtesy of talking to me, first? I though _you and I_ had plans for tomorrow, not you, I and whatever _prat_ decides to invite himself along, too!"

"What's wrong with you, Harry!" Ginny yelled back, starting to get angry herself. "I know you and Dean might not be best mates like you are with Ron, but you've been sharing a dorm room with him for years now. I thought you got along with him just fine? What difference does it make if you go with one friend or two?"

"Fine!" Harry barked, "Bring him along. Why should I even care!"

Jumping up from his chair, Harry stormed out the portrait hole, causing the Fat Lady to berate him for slamming her picture shut and leaving an angry and confused Ginny behind.

* * *

><p>Harry skipped dinner that night and didn't return to the Gryffindor tower until well after curfew. Not having any desire to see either Ginny or Dean bloody Thomas, he left again in the morning before any of his housemates rose for the day. He spent most of his day on top of the Astronomy Tower, sourly watching students in pairs or small groups stroll down to the school gates and on to Hogsmeade. Later in the day he easily spotted Ginny's bright, coppery hair which seemed to glow in the afternoon light, as she walked hand-in-hand back to the castle with a tall, dark haired boy. With a lump in his throat, Harry just trudged back to his dorm room, climbed into his bed and closed the curtains around him, skipping dinner again that night.<p>

* * *

><p>A few days later Harry was sitting by himself in the Gryffindor common room just before curfew. Ron was out doing his prefect rounds, and Hermione was in the library looking up some additional information for a Transfiguration essay they had been assigned earlier that day. Having given up on getting any further homework done himself, Harry was sitting in his favorite chair again, staring into the common room fire and trying not to think about Ginny, who was out somewhere with that prat Dean.<p>

Ron walked into the common room with a stormy expression on his face. He stomped across the room and flopped unceremoniously into the chair next to Harry's.

"Bloody hell!" Ron grumbled.

"What's the problem? You and Hermione have another row?" Harry asked, not really terribly interested at the moment in his friends constant arguing.

"No, it's not Hermione this time, its Ginny!" He replied, "I was out doing my rounds this evening and found her and Thomas together in a deserted corridor. When I asked them what the hell they were doing out there, Thomas got all defensive and Ginny told me to bugger off," he huffed, "They looked all flushed and Ginny's hair was a mess. I'm sure I probably just missed them snogging." Ron's face looked like he had just bitten into a lemon.

Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest and just grunted in acknowledgment.

"You agree then? She shouldn't be going around like that with Thomas. The bloke's no good for her," Ron asked.

"Course not," Harry replied, scowling into the fire, "Thomas is a prat."

"Right! I ought to tell Ginny to…"

"Ha!" Harry interrupted, warming to the subject, "Good luck trying to tell Ginny to do anything. Remember when you tried to tell her about that ponce Corner last year?"

At this point, they were interrupted by the subjects of their conversation as Ginny and Dean crawled in through the portrait hole. Dean looked uncomfortable but Ginny just glared at her brother and dragged her companion over to the steps up to the dormitories with her head held high. Looking to make sure Ron was still watching, she deliberately pulled Dean's head down and kissed him on the lips, before releasing him and flouncing up the stairs to the girl's rooms. Thomas took a nervous look over at Ron and then quickly made his own way up the stairs to the boy's dorms.

Ron's face was twisted in another sour expression, "Yeah, you've got a point there, mate," he conceded. "Still, I'm going to be keeping my eye on her and Thomas and I better not see him taking any… liberties with my little sister, or else! Say, you're almost like another brother to Ginny, so you keep an eye on them too, yeah?"

Harry's stomach twisted at the idea of only being 'like another brother' to Ginny, but he guessed that was probably how she saw him. She certainly didn't seem to see him the way he saw her.

"Sure, Ron," Harry sighed, "I'll keep an eye on Thomas, too."

"Good! By the way, don't mention our little talk to Hermione, yeah?" he said quietly as he looked towards the portrait hole, where the bushy-haired witch was herself now crawling through, pulling her oversized book bag behind her. "She'll probably just tell us to mind our own business, but Ginny's my little sister so that makes it our business."

* * *

><p>For the next few weeks, Harry did his best to just avoid both Ginny and Dean Thomas. When he was forced to be in Ginny's presence, like at Quidditch practice, he just avoided talking to her more than he absolutely had to and excused himself afterwards as quickly as possible. Just seeing them holding hands or sitting together seemed to stir up a monster in his chest that wanted him to go over and bash Thomas for being anywhere near Ginny.<p>

Unfortunately, when he finally ran across the two of them it was at the worst possible time. Harry was returning late from Quidditch practice after having sent the rest of the players back almost twenty minutes ago and decided to take one of the many hidden corridors of the castle to save time. When Harry pushed open the tapestry to take his usual shortcut up to Gryffindor Tower, however, he found himself looking at Dean and Ginny, who were locked in a close embrace and kissing fiercely as though glued together. Harry's first reaction was to hex Thomas into jelly and he was actually reaching for his wand when he realized how pointless that would be. Ginny didn't have any feelings for him anymore and she was going out with Dean now. Hexing him would not change that.

Dean was looking embarrassed. He gave Harry a shifty grin that Harry did not return, and started to stutter some sort of explanation while Ginny turned bright red and tried to fix her messy hair and robes. Harry just looked at Ginny for a moment, then slumped his shoulders as he turned and left the surprised and embarrassed couple standing there.

Later that evening, Harry was sitting in the almost deserted Common Room trying to get the picture of Ginny kissing Thomas out of his mind, when the couple stepped through the portrait hole and walked over to the stairs leading to the boys and girls dormitories. After wishing each other a quiet goodnight they both started to walk up their respective stairways. When he was about half way up, however, Dean noticed Harry sitting in front of the fire and after pausing nervously for a minute, turned and walked back down and over to the sitting figure.

"Um, hey, Harry…" Dean began.

"What do you want, Thomas?" Harry replied tiredly, pulling off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"About what your saw earlier," he said, "well… it's not exactly what it looked like"

"It _looked_ like you and Ginny Weasley were snogging each other's brains out," Harry replied curtly.

"Um… well, yeah I guess that is what it was." Dean said with a chuckle. "I, uh… I was wondering… are you going to tell Ron about what you saw?"

"Why would I do that?" asked Harry.

"Well, you know. Your best mate's little sister and all…"

Harry turned and looked at Dean. "Ginny's not a little kid anymore, Thomas, she can make her own decisions about her life without Ron's interference"

"Oh, that's great!" Dean replied, relieved. "You know how Ron can be. I know he's not too chuffed about me going out with his sister as it is. I was afraid he'd end up hexing me if he was to find out about tonight."

"I'm sure that Ginny can handle any hexing that needs to be done without Ron's help. I've seen how good she is with her wand." Harry stated with a grim look on his face.

Dean laughed a bit nervously before Harry continued. "Just keep this in mind, Thomas" he said with a sudden, cold look in his eyes, "If you ever hurt or disrespect her, after Ginny's done with you I'll be having a go, too. I've got lots of hexes and curses I never got around to teaching in the DA last year, you know. I'll bet it will take Madam Pomfrey at least a week to get you sorted out again when I'm done."

"N-n-no worries, mate" Dean stammered, his voice a bit higher than normal. "I'll make sure the situation never comes up" he finished before rushing up the boys stairway and into their room.

A few minutes later, Harry sighed and followed him up the steps to the sixth year boys dormitories. Neither Harry nor Dean noticed the redhead standing in the shadows half way up the girls staircase.

* * *

><p>The next day, after searching for over an hour, Ginny tracked Harry down as he was working on an essay for his potions class at a table in a far corner of the library.<p>

"There you are!" said Ginny as she tried to catch her breath. "I've been running all over the castle looking for you, Harry."

"What do you want, Ginny?" Harry asked warily "I'm kind of busy here. I've still got two more feet to do for Snape before tomorrow."

Ignoring his attempt to brush her off, she crossed her arms over her chest and stated, "I heard you and Dean talking last night in the common room,".

"Oh…" Harry replied, sheepishly.

"Yes, and while I would appreciate if you stopped threatening my boyfriend…" Ginny stopped for a moment as a strange expression passed over Harry's face when she said 'boyfriend'. It almost looked like... sadness or maybe regret?

"Um," she continued "Yes. Well, you can be kind of scary when you want to be. Dean seems to be afraid to touch me now and has been looking over his shoulder whenever we are together since last night."

Harry smirked but said nothing.

"Well, aside from that, I did want to thank you for the other things you said. About me being able to make my own decisions and fight my own fights. That's something I row about with my parents and brothers all the time so it's nice to hear that at least someone else agrees with me"

"Oh," Harry said, turning back to his parchment "No problem." and then mumbled, "It's just the truth."

Ginny pensively watched him scratch away at his essay for a few moments and then straightened up and spoke again.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"I don't know what you mean," he replied, not looking up. "Nothing is wrong."

"Yes it is!" she insisted, "Harry, I thought you and I got to be so close over the summer, but since that Hogsmeade weekend you'll hardly even talk to me! You are obviously still mad and I'd like to know why. It can't be just because I invited another person to join us for the day."

Ginny took a deep breath and continued "I know you were upset about the Hogsmeade trip, and you were right I _should_ have talked to you before I invited Dean along. I realized later that the whole reason you asked to go with me was because you didn't want to feel like a third wheel around my brother and Hermione, and I went and put you in the same situation. I was just afraid if I turned down Dean and then went with you he might get the wrong idea and I didn't want to scare him off. I am sorry, but at the time I honestly thought that since we were just going as friends you would not mind if I invited one more person along…"

Clenching his teeth, Harry finally looked up and interrupted her "Fine!" he said, slamming his quill down on the table, "You want to know what's wrong? _That's_ what's wrong, Ginny! I never _said_ I was asking you to go with me as a friend."

"Wh-what…?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I didn't just ask you to go with me _just_ because I didn't want to go with Ron and Hermione. I was asking you on a date because I like you, Ginny," he repeated, then his anger seemed to die and he seemed to slump in defeat. "Although... I suppose I can't blame you for assuming that, after the way I ignored you for so long. Not a day has gone by since then, however, that I don't kick myself for not making it clearer that I fancied you and I was asking you on a _date_ in the first place."

Ginny's stood staring at Harry, her mouth hanging open, seemingly unable to respond to this revelation.

"You were right, we did get really close over the summer. Actually, I think I was starting to notice what an amazing person you were back last year when I got to spend so much time with you during the DA meetings. I was so tied up with what was going on last year, however, and then what happened at the… at the Ministry, plus you were going out with Corner most of the year, that I didn't have time to think about what that meant. Over the summer, though, I really did start thinking about you as your own person. Someone who was bright and strong and independent and passionate and funny and very pretty and not just Ron's 'little sister' anymore. I felt like you had become an important part of my life."

"Then we got back to school I was starting to realize I was thinking about you as more than just a friend and I thought that maybe, just maybe if we could spend some time alone in Hogsmeade together I could find out if you might be able to feel the same. Then I could ask you properly to give me a chance to be your boyfriend. Instead you wound up ignoring me and going out with that prat Thomas and I've just ended up regretting what an idiot I had been to let you get away because I didn't recognize how amazing you really are until it was too late."

Harry saw Madam Pince glaring angrily at the disturbance he was making, so before she came over and told them to leave, he sighed and stuffed his books and parchment back into his bag and stood up from the library table. "I'm sorry I just don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm heading back to the tower." and he walked out of the library, his shoulders hunched and his eyes downcast, leaving Ginny even more confused than before.


	2. Intentions

**Intentions **

After Harry left the library, Ginny sat there for while trying to come to terms with what he had just told her. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusing thoughts. Harry fancied her? How could she have not notice that and misunderstood his intentions so badly? But did he really feel that way or was he just desperate to hold onto his last friend now that Ron and Hermione were finally feeling their way into a relationship that took them away from Harry so much of the time? She knew better than most how much Harry relied on his friends. Even if he did really fancy her, did she still want to get involved with him? After all, she had worked so hard to put her crush behind her, plus she already had a boyfriend now. Finally, unable to resolve her conflicting emotions, she slowly made her way back to the Gryffindor tower and up to her dormitory, where she flopped down on her four poster bed and stared at the ceiling.

About ten minutes later, the door to her dorm room opened and Hermione came in. After looking around to make sure they were alone in the room, the bushy haired girl walked over and sat down on the edge of Ginny's bed.

"Harry came back to the common room in a state tonight, Ginny. Ron and I both tried to ask him what was wrong but he wouldn't talk to us and just went straight up to bed. Then just a little while later you walked in and ignored us, too." She put her hand on Ginny's arm and continued, "Did you finally track him down and find out what the problem was between the two of you?"

"Yeah," the redhead replied, "I think I did."

After a moment of silence, Hermione demanded, "Well, don't just leave me hanging like that! What happened?"

"He said the reason he was still mad at me was because when he asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him last month he was asking me on a date. He said he was starting to like me as more than a friend and he was going to ask me while we were in the village if I wanted to be his girlfriend. He's been angry because he felt like I just dumped him to go with Dean instead."

The older girl gasped, "I can't believe he finally told you! Harry is usually rubbish at talking about his feelings so I wasn't sure he would ever admit it."

"What? Wait a minute! Finally?" Ginny sputtered, sitting up in her bed, "You mean you knew he fancied me? Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me then!"

"Well, first off I didn't actually _know_ he fancied you. It's not like he has said anything to me about it. Still, I've seen the way he was looking at you when we got back from the summer and that the two of you seemed so close. It just seemed obvious that Harry was starting to look at you as more than just a friend. Anyway, even if I had known for sure it's not really my place to tell you how Harry was feeling, it's something he should tell you himself and it sounds like he finally did."

Falling back onto her bed, Ginny took her head into her hands and groaned. "Merlin! What am I supposed to do about this."

"I don't understand, Ginny." Hermione looked at her uncertainly. "Isn't this what you always wanted? I mean, you've told me you fancied Harry since you were ten years old."

"Yeah, but that's just it, that's when I was ten years old!" the younger girl said, "I admit I had a terrible crush on Harry for years but I finally gave up on him ever noticing me and moved on. I went out with Michael last year and I'm dating Dean now. Am I supposed to just drop someone who's already recognized that I was a girl and jump just because Harry _finally_ decided to notice me now this year."

"I'm not saying you should drop anything, Ginny," Hermione replied, "that's really up to you. To be fair, however, Dean only decided to notice you this year, too. Boys are different than girls and sometimes they just take longer to really get interested in these things that we do."

"Well, Dean asked me first. That has to count for something," Ginny said petulantly.

"It's not like it's a race!" laughed the older girl. "Besides, according to what you just told me, it was actually Harry that asked first, if you think about it. He just didn't do a very good job of it."

"That's right! Dean came out and asked me properly for a date and then to be his girlfriend. Harry didn't even feel strongly enough about me to do that."

"Really, Ginny, you have to remember their backgrounds. Now, I don't know Dean as well as I do Harry. I understand his father was killed when he was younger? Still, he has a family, right? A mother and stepfather and a couple of brothers or sisters that probably all care about him, right? You have to realize that Harry never had that." Hermione continued, sadly, "Harry hasn't told even Ron and I a lot about his life with the Dursleys, but it's obvious that they never showed him any sort of love or affection. It's a wonder he can feel those things at all after the way he grew up so it's hardly surprising that he has a difficult time articulating those emotions."

"What if I do decide to go out with Harry, Hermione?" Ginny asked softly. "What if I let myself start to care about him again like that and he changes his mind later? It was so hard putting him behind me the first time, I'm not sure if I can do it again."

"But what if he _doesn't _change his mind, Ginny?" Hermione countered, "Can you honestly say you are completely over him? Can you honestly say that you won't regret it, possibly for the rest of your life, if you don't even try to have a relationship with him now that you finally have the chance?"

The redhead ran her fingers through her hair and then shook her head violently back and forth, "No. No matter who asked first or how Harry feels about me, I've already agreed to go out with Dean. I can't just dump him after a couple of weeks and say 'Sorry Dean, I got a better offer' and walk away," Ginny huffed, "I'm not just some floozy who jumps from one boyfriend to another like some of the girls in this school."

"Of course you're not, Ginny, and I agree that you have to consider Dean's feelings and the commitment you made to go out with him this year. You need to consider too, though, is it really fair to Dean to continue dating him if you know it's not going anywhere? If you know that there is someone else you have feelings for that you don't really have for him?"

Hermione patted Ginny's arm before she got up and walked out of the room, leaving the younger woman to consider everything they had talked about.

* * *

><p>In the end, Ginny decided she needed more time to examine both Harry's and her own emotions and feelings before making any decisions. So, for the time being she continued to date Dean Thomas. Ginny thought he had a lot of positive qualities. He was kind and thoughtful, a talented artist and rather handsome in his own way. Ginny enjoyed spending time with him as much as he seemed to enjoy her company so she just could not bring herself to throw all that away on the chance that her former crush might actually have serious feelings for her.<p>

However, if Ginny expected Dean to get over the threat Harry had given him in the common room that night, she wound up being disappointed. Of course it didn't help that both Harry and Ron would glare at their roommate whenever they saw him. Many times it seemed to Ginny that one or the other of them would show up suddenly and without warning in the corridors, or the library or out on the grounds. All in all, it seemed calculated to keep Dean constant state of nervous distraction and his relationship with the fiery redhead suffered accordingly.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed one evening as she and Dean were walking back to the common room after dinner. "Would you stop looking over your shoulder like that! You're going to walk into a wall if you're not careful."

"I can't help it, Ginny!" the dark skinned boy whined, "those two are driving me around the twist! It's like everywhere we go I turn around and one of them is watching us."

"So let the bloody prats watch us!" she snapped, "It's not like they're going to hex you in the back as we walk down the corridors. You need to stand up to them, Dean, or at least learn to ignore them. I don't care what they think of our relationship and I'm not going to let them control who I can and can't spend my time with."

"I guess you're right, Ginny," Dean admitted, as he reached out and took Ginny's hand.

Ginny wasn't totally satisfied with Dean's response, but she decided to let it go for now as they continued down the corridor hand in hand.

* * *

><p>Harry crawled through the portrait hole and into the common room one evening later that week to find his two friends rowing about something at the foot of the dormitory stairs. Harry wasn't sure what they were arguing about at first, until he hear the names 'Ginny' and 'Dean' shouted back and forth. Not wanting to get pulled into that fight. He quietly walked over to the fireplace and sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs arranged in front of it to wait for things to calm down before he tried to use the stairs to his dorm room.<p>

A few minutes later the shouting stopped abruptly and Harry heard someone stomping up the steps and a door slam. He then heard someone walking rapidly across the room to where he was sitting. When he turned from his contemplation of the fire he saw a very angry Hermione glaring at him.

"Uhh… evening, Hermione," he said weakly.

"Don't 'evening' me, Harry James Potter," she said, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your prat of a best mate. Stop trying to interfere with Ginny's relationship with Dean. It's her decision and you two don't have any say in the matter."

"Wha…" Harry started to reply, but was quickly cut off.

"I was out doing my prefect rounds earlier and caught Ronald in one of the corridors threatening Dean Thomas. Ron's just lucky I didn't report him to Professor McGonagall. He could have gotten a detention or even lost his prefect badge for threatening another student! When I confronted him just now he said you and he were both keeping an eye on the two of them." The bushy haired witch finally seemed to calm down a bit and said in a softer voice. "Harry, I think I know how you feel about Ginny, but this is the wrong way to go about things. Even if you do break up the two of them through stalking them all over the castle and threatening Dean, she's never going to forgive you."

"Honestly, Hermione," Harry replied as he ran his fingers through his dark hair, "I don't know about Ron, but I'm not stalking the two of them. Merlin, I don't _want_ to see the two of them together but it's like everywhere I go, there they are!"

"Well, perhaps, but Ginny did say something to me about you threatening Dean?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did do that a couple weeks ago, but I didn't threaten him to make him break up with her! I just warned him that he better treat her right."

Hermione sighed as sat down in the chair next to Harry's and then reached out and put a hand on Harry's arm. "Harry, at this point Ginny knows how you feel about her. There is nothing more you can do except wait and see what happens. I understand it's hard, but it's really all up to Ginny now."

"I understand, Hermione, I really do," he answered her in a defeated tone.

* * *

><p>One evening in late November, Ginny talked Dean into taking a walk around the castle with her before returning to the Gryffindor common room for the night. As they were walking, Ginny kept taking Dean's hand and they would walk together for a while, but every time Dean thought he heard someone approaching he would quickly pull his hand out of hers and look nervously around. After the second time this happened Ginny growled and, grabbing the sleeve of Dean's robes, pulled him into a deserted classroom.<p>

"What do you think you're doing, Ginny?" the dark skinned boy asked worriedly, "Someone might have seen us come in here."

Ginny answered him by grabbing the collar of his robes and pulling him down into a passionate kiss. For a moment Dean responded but then pulled away again.

"Merlin, Ginny!" he gasped, "We can't do that in here! Anyone could walk in. What if Ron or Harry…"

"Bloody hell, Thomas!" she yelled, interrupting him, "I thought you were my boyfriend! This is what boyfriends and girlfriends do! They hold hands when they walk together and they sneak off to broom closets and empty classrooms to snog!"

"It's not that I don't want to, Ginny," he whined, "but you know how the two of them have been since we started going out and I have to share a dorm room with both of them. Half the time the way they glare at me when we're alone in the dorm room together, I'm afraid they're going to hex me in my sleep!"

"That's it, Dean! I've had it!" Ginny yelled back, pulling her own wand and pointing it at the wide eyed boy. "If you don't care enough about me to stand up to my prat brother and his prat friend, I don't think I want to be your girlfriend anymore."

"Come on, Ginny! Don't be like that. I'm sure if we give it a little more time they'll eventually learn to accept it…"

"Dean, we've already been going out for two months! If you haven't worked this out with them yet, you're never going to and I'm tired of waiting. I want a real boyfriend, not someone who's unwilling to show me any affection because he's afraid of my what brother or Harry will think." She sighed and put her wand away again. "That's it, Dean, we're through. Go find yourself some normal girlfriend without a couple of overprotective gits following her around."

Ginny turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving a surprised and disappointed Dean standing there by himself.

* * *

><p>After spending some time up in her dorm room finishing a reading assignment for her Transfiguration class the next day, Ginny walked down to the common room later that night. It was fairly deserted with only one or two people up late working on last minute homework assignments. Walking over to the fireplace, she noticed Harry sitting there in his favorite chair, staring into the flames. She flopped down in another chair near his and glared at him.<p>

"I hope you and my brother are happy now, Harry."

He looked up suddenly noticing her as she spoke, "Uh… happy about what, Ginny?"

"You and Ron were successful. Dean and I just broke up tonight. I got tired of waiting for him to stand up to you two and start treating me like a real girlfriend."

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair and looked away, "I'm sorry Ginny…"

"Ha!" Ginny retorted angrily.

"Okay, I can't honestly say I'm sorry you and Dean aren't going out anymore," he admitted. "but despite how it might have looked, I promise you I didn't do anything to purposely break the two of you up. I wouldn't do that to you and I am sorry that you're unhappy now. That was never what I wanted. I'm also sorry that you and I have hardly been speaking for months now. I've really missed you, you know."

"Yes, well that's been your doing, too, hasn't it?" she replied caustically.

"I know it has, Ginny, and I wanted to stop being such a great prat, I did," he told her with a sigh, "It was just so hard seeing him with you and both of you acting so happy. I just didn't know how to deal with it other than just avoiding both of you…"

Ginny didn't make any reply to this. She was rather surprised at how open Harry was being about his feelings at this point.

"I can tell you one thing, Ginny," Harry said softly, looking her in the eyes, "If it was me I would never have let a couple of overprotective gits break us up. I would have stood up for you because you are certainly worth fighting for."

The redhead looked away from Harry's piercing green eyes so he wouldn't see how much his declaration effected her, despite how mad she still was at him.

"It's late and it's been a long day, Harry," she finally said. "I'm going to go back upstairs and go to bed now."

As she got up and started walking back up the steps to the girls dormitory, she heard Harry whisper, "Good night, Ginny. Pleasant dreams."

* * *

><p>The last couple of weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays were at the same time a relief and yet a disappointment for Harry. Although Ginny was no longer dating Dean Thomas, her relationship with Harry still did not return to the easy friendship they had shared at the beginning of the school year. While they did not actively seek to avoid each other anymore, their stilted conversations tended to be limited to discussions of the progress of the house Quidditch team, or casual remarks about their classes and teachers.<p>

On the train ride home for the holidays, Ginny shared a compartment with Harry and his other two friends for a while. Ginny talked with Hermione about the older girl's plans for Christmas for most of the ride while Harry and Ron played several games of Wizard's Chess. After the food trolley came by, Ginny excused herself to go wish her friends a Happy Christmas and did not return until the train began to slow as it approached Kings Cross station.

The weather was for the most part cold and wet in Devon once they returned to The Burrow so everyone spent most of their time indoors. The days leading up to Christmas passed in much the same way, with the two teens polite and civil to each other, but they could still not seem to reclaim their former closeness. Harry found it frustrating, but he was reluctant to push Ginny for more for fear of simply angering her again, which he really didn't want to do in front of her family.

On Christmas day, there was a box containing a selection of Honeyduke's best chocolate under the tree for Ginny from Harry. He had thought about getting her something more… personal for a gift, but he decided that given the current state of their relationship he didn't want to push things so he felt something nice but not too nice was the best choice. In any case, Ginny seemed pleased with the gift and thanked him while she happily ate a piece of the rich chocolate.

In addition to his usual gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the twins, Ron and Hermione, Harry was pleasantly surprised to find a gift from Ginny for himself under the tree, too. It was just a nice eagle feather quill and a bottle of dark green ink, but since he and Ginny had never exchanged presents in the past, he figured that even that was a good sign and he thanked her for it sincerely.

After Christmas, the weather finally began to thaw and the atmosphere between them seemed to follow suit. They were able to get outside for a few hours every day to take turns playing two-a-side Quidditch with Ron and her other brothers. As both Harry and Ginny loved to fly, both their moods improved accordingly. Unfortunately, Harry never seemed able to find Ginny alone in the bustling Weasley house so he still made little progress on rebuilding their friendship.

Still, when it was finally time to return to Hogwarts for the resumption of school, both Harry and Ginny were much more relaxed together and Ginny spent the whole trip in the compartment with her brother, Hermione and Harry where they all played several games of Exploding Snap and talked together about their holidays and the upcoming term at school.

* * *

><p>"You and Ginny seem to be getting along a bit better since the holidays, Harry," Hermione said a couple of weeks after school resumed. "Are you going to try and ask her out again?"<p>

"I don't know, Hermione." the dark haired boy signed, "After what happened last term, I'm still not sure if she has totally forgiven me yet. What if she says no? Then that would be it then, wouldn't it?" Harry shook his head in resignation, "Maybe I should just wait a bit longer until I'm really sure she's not mad anymore…"

"Harry," she said, "you know that Ginny is a very popular girl. If you don't do something soon then someone else is liable to ask her out first, and then you'll be right back where you were before."

"What?" asked Harry sharply, "Do you know something, Hermione?"

"After the way you and Ron treated Dean last term," Hermione continued, "I doubt anyone in Gryffindor is going to take a chance on her just yet, but I've seen a couple boys from the other Houses eyeing her in the Great Hall lately. In fact, I even saw her talking with a cute sixth year named Tobias Williams from Hufflepuff in the corridors yesterday."

"Bugger!" groaned Harry, jamming his hands in his pants pockets and kicking at the floor. It felt like the beast in his chest that had wanted to hex Dean was now growling at the prospect of someone else going out with the girl that Harry wanted to date.

"Harry! Language. Anyway, I don't think anyone else has actually asked her out yet, but I'm telling you, if you don't stop dragging your feet and make a move, someone else will."

* * *

><p>Realizing that Hermione was right once again, Harry decided the next day that he just had to take a chance. He didn't want to face the prospect of spending another term watching Ginny date some tosser, knowing he hadn't even tried to ask her out. After double checking with Hermione as to what Ginny's schedule was for that day, he posted himself in the Charms corridor late in the afternoon and waited for her to walk out of Flitwick's class.<p>

As soon as she walked out into the corridor, talking with several of her classmates, Harry called out to her. "Say, Ginny? Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Some of the other girls with her exchanged glances and giggled but Ginny just rolled her eyes at them and said, warily, "I guess so, Harry. Is this going to take long, though? I wanted to get to the library to do some reading for Charms class before dinner tonight."

"Uh, no," he replied as the rest of her class walked off down the hall in the direction of Gryffindor tower. "I guess this won't take more than a few minutes. Why don't we walk that way while we talk."

Harry collected his thoughts for a moment than then proceeded. "Look, I know that I really messed up last term, Ginny. I did a rubbish job of asking you out on a date and then I blamed you for not understanding and acted like a total prat for the next two months. The worst thing was I at least contributed to ruining your relationship and making you unhappy and hurting you is the last thing I wanted to do. I'm really sorry about all of that."

Hearing the obvious sincerity in his words, Ginny looked at the nervous young man walking beside her before sighing, "You're right, you did hurt me, Harry, but after talking things over with Hermione I think I understand at least part of why you acted the way you did. Although it was totally unintentional, I reckon I did hurt your feelings, too. I guess I'm willing to forgive you for your prat-hood though, as long as you promise not to do it again."

"Of course! That would be brilliant, Ginny!" Harry replied, then looking down he continued after a moment, "Uh… Look, I know I may be pushing things right now, but we do have the first Hogsmeade weekend of the new year coming up soon. Would you be willing to give me another chance to go together?"

Ginny's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs. She was quite surprised that Harry had worked up the nerve to ask her out again after his last disastrous attempt. She thought for a moment before making her decision. Crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Just to be clear, Harry, are you asking me as a date or as a friend this time?"

"To be honest, I'll take anything I can get right now, Ginny. I'd like nothing better than to go to Hogsmeade with you on a date," Harry replied, continuing to stare at the floor as he spoke, "but we can go just as friends this time, if you are more comfortable that way. The main thing is I just want a chance to spend time with you." he finally raised his head and looking into her eyes, "I've really missed that."

"Alright, Harry," the redhead told him after a moment, trying to ignore the slight tug on her heartstrings, "We can go on a date. But that's all it is, for now at least, one date. Don't read anything more into it than that. We still have a lot of talking to do before we even think about anything else."

"That's fine, Ginny, in fact, that's great!" Harry smiled and finally looked up at her again. "I know that's probably more than I deserve. Just one thing, though," he continued wryly as they started to part ways at the doors to the library, "Please don't invite any other blokes along this time, yeah?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at him, but had to bite down on the burst of laughter that threatened to bubble up out of her chest. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she said goodbye and walked off to the library where hopefully she would be able to concentrate on her reading and not spend the time thinking about a certain dark haired boy.

* * *

><p>Later that evening in the Great Hall, as Harry was finishing off his pudding from dinner, he happened to look up as Ginny stood and started to make her way out of the hall. At the same time, he noticed a broad shouldered bloke with light brown hair jump up from the Hufflepuff table and intercepted her near the doors. They spoke for a few moments and Harry had to suppress a sigh of relief as Ginny shook her head and the boy's shoulders sagged slightly.<p>

Hermione, who was sitting next to Harry tonight, nudged him with her elbow and nodded towards the scene. Harry just grinned at her and went back to eating as a knowing smile spread over the bushy haired witch's features while they both watched Ginny exchange a few more words with the disappointed suitor before she left the room and he walked slowly back to the Hufflepuff table.

Ron was sitting across the table from the two of them, oblivious to what was going on as he worked on his second desert so Hermione asked Harry quietly, "I take it you actually got up the nerve to ask her? I guess that means she's forgiven you then, right?"

"Yeah, I asked her this afternoon." Harry replied in a whisper, "I'm still not sure she has totally forgiven me yet, but she was willing to give me another chance so we are going to Hogsmeade together this weekend."

"That's wonderful, Harry!" she said, giving him a quick, one armed hug and letting go again before Ron noticed, "I'm so happy for you. Now, just don't mess things up again and maybe you two can work this all out."

"I hope so, Hermione," Harry said, staring towards the doors that Ginny had passed out of a few moments ago, with a look of longing on his face, "I really hope so."


	3. Resolution

**A/N:** _I have a lot more tolerance for authors who don't update as quickly as I would like them to, now. I had originally intended to post this final chapter only a few days after the previous one. After a week long power outage, an unexpected trip for work, and finally a brainstorm that resulted in a major revision of this chapter, however, I have finally done it. Thanks to everyone who read my first effort and I hope you've enjoyed it._

* * *

><p>It snowed all day Friday before the Hogsmeade weekend, but the day of the trip the residents of the castle were greeted with a bright winter sun and a cloudless blue sky, although it remained quite cold. All around the castle and village trees were draped in heavy white coats of snow while sparkling drifts covered the ground. Harry and Ginny were both glad the path from the castle down to the village was charmed clear of snow or it might have proved a miserable, wet slog down to Hogsmeade and back again later that day.<p>

* * *

><p>Harry and Ginny both arrived at the Great Hall sooner than normal for breakfast as they had agreed to head down to the village early while the weather was still clear. They sat together quietly for the most part, both a bit nervous about what was going to happen today. They had both almost finished their meals when Ron and Hermione finally joined them there. Looking at each other, Harry inclined his head towards the door and Ginny nodded in agreement. Ron was still working his way through his first heaping plate full of eggs, bacon and toast when Harry and Ginny got up and excused themselves.<p>

Ron stopped Harry as he was walking away "Hey, mate! Where are you rushing off to? Hang around a bit and you can walk down to Hogsmeade with Hermione and me."

Turning and seeing Ginny waiting impatiently for him at the doorway, Harry quickly replied "Well, I was actually going to head down to the village now, Ron. I was going to, uh… keep Ginny company."

"Oh, good idea!" Ron said around a mouthful of eggs, winking broadly at Harry, "Between the two of us we can keep an eye on her today and make sure that no other blokes try anything now that Dean's out of the way."

Harry looked over Ron's head at Hermione with a desperate expression on his face. She rolled her eyes at the two of them but jumped in and said, "Just take your time with breakfast, Ron, I'm sure Ginny will be fine with just Harry there. You and I can walk down together in a little while, that way the two of us will have a chance to spend some time alone together."

Ron seemed to like this idea as he mumbled his agreement and continued eating. Hermione looked back at Harry and made shooing motions towards the doorway so he mouthed 'thank you' and hurried over to where Ginny was suspiciously waiting for him.

"What was that about, then?" she asked him, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh, you know. Just Ron being Ron." he told her as he pushed to large door open and then walked though it together. "Let's go upstairs and get our cloaks and such so we can get out of here while he's still busy with breakfast."

"Alright," she agreed, "lets." and they both rushed up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower to get their winter gear for the trip to Hogsmeade.

* * *

><p>Once the two of them finally reached the village, the pair's first stop was Honeyduke's Sweetshop. Harry bought a large box of chocolate frogs and Ginny picked up a pack of sugar quills. When Ginny wasn't looking, Harry also purchased another box of Honeyduke's best chocolate, like the one he gave Ginny for Christmas. He hoped if things went well that he might be able to surprise her with some of it later after she finished off the box he already gave her. Next they stopped in the already crowded Zonko's but after looking around for a while they both agreed that the tricks and gags they had received for Christmas from the twins from their shop were better than anything Zonko's had to offer.<p>

As they walked shivering down the high road through town, Ginny asked to make a quick stop in Scrivenshaft's. "Do you mind, Harry?" she asked. "I've got to pick up some more parchment. There's been a lot more homework assignments this month than I figured on."

"Sure, Ginny," he assured her, "we're on no fixed schedule. Whatever you'd like to do is fine."

Ginny smiled and opened the door to the shop. Inside, they saw Ron standing in the back with a bored look on his face as Hermione compared the many different types of quills the shop offered. Sharing an amused look with Harry, Ginny quickly made her purchase and the two snuck out of the shop again without being noticed by the other pair.

Harry noticed Ginny start to shiver again as they walked back out of the shop so he asked her, "I know it's still early, but if you don't have any other shopping to do, would you like to head over to the Three Broomsticks and warm up for a while?"

Pulling her winter cloak more tightly around her, Ginny answered, "Yeah! Sounds like a good idea. Merlin! I didn't realize it was going to be so cold this morning."

As the two teens walked into the welcome warmth of the cheery pub, they both took off their hats and unwound the scarves from around their necks. It was still relatively uncrowded in the popular establishment as it was a while yet until the normal lunch hour. Harry asked Ginny to find them a small table while he got them something to drink. A few minutes later he returned from the bar and set two steaming mugs of butterbeer on the table and then pulled his wand from under his winter cloak. Waving it around the table, Harry mumbled an incantation that Ginny did not recognize.

"What was that that spell, Harry?" she asked, shrugging out of her winter cloak and hanging it over the back of her chair as the heat of the roaring fireplace in the pub finally began to warm her up. "I don't think I've seen that one before."

"Oh! It's a spell called _Muffliato_," he told her as he pulled his own cloak off. "It prevents anyone from overhearing our conversation. I figured since it was too cold out to wander off and find someplace for a private talk, this would be just as good. Plus there's the benefit of warm butterbeer!"

"Sounds like something that could be right useful to know," she smirked. "You'll have to teach that one to me."

"Sure, Ginny," he replied with a smile. "Just don't mention it to Hermione, yeah? She doesn't really seem to approve of it much. Course, that might be because Ron and I use it to talk in class without the teacher hearing us."

Ginny laughed and picked up her butterbeer. Harry looked at her as she took her first sip of the warming beverage. She was wearing two jumpers over a heavy button-down shirt due to the cold winter weather that day but it still could not disguise the fact that Ginny was not a little girl anymore. Her bright red hair hung loose today, falling below her shoulders and framing her face with a curtain of copper and gold that glistened like a halo in the light of the fire behind her. Her cheeks were still red from the recent cold outside and her large, brown eyes seemed to sparkle with her recent laughter. Harry didn't think he had ever seen anyone who looked lovelier at that moment than Ginny Weasley. The beast in his chest seemed to agree as it almost purred at the contentment of spending time alone with the redhead.

Taking a long sip of his own butterbeer to steady his nerves, Harry decided to get on with what he thought of as the main reason for their long delayed trip to Hogsmeade. "Well, Ginny," he began, "I suppose now that we've warmed up a bit and have some privacy, I'd like to, well, explain to you how I feel about you. If you'll listen, that is?" he added hopefully. "Now, I don't expect anything from you in return for this, Ginny, but I just… I really wanted to let you know how I feel."

Ginny looked at the serious expression on his face and knew she couldn't refuse him. "Alright, Harry, I… I can't make any promises but I'll listen."

"Thanks, Ginny." he said, "Well, the first thing I wanted to say was thank you for what you did for me last summer. I don't think I ever really told you how much that meant to me and what a difference you made. I don't know how I would have gotten over losing Sirius and… other things that were bothering me without your help."

Ginny was pleased at the sentiment but rather surprised that Harry had started his talk this way. "That's alright, Harry. That's what friends do for each other."

"That's just it," he continued, "Ron and Hermione are my friends too, but they weren't able to help me even half as much as you did. That's part of the reason I… well, I started to like you the way I do."

Harry took another sip of his warm butterbeer and continued, "I mean, over the last year or so, I really began to notice what a bright, funny, strong and pretty witch you are. Any bloke with two eyes and half the sense of a flobberworm would fancy you for those reasons, though." Harry was staring down into his mug of butterbeer so he didn't notice the slight blush that crept across his companion's cheeks.

Ginny found herself a bit embarrassed but also in a strange way excited at the way Harry was opening up and talking to her about how he felt. True, he had opened up about his feelings of grief and guilt regarding Sirius last summer, but this was different. This was about how he felt about her! During her only two serious relationships with other boys, even after months of dating, neither Michael nor Dean had ever really spoken to her about how or why they liked her and here was Harry opening up his heart to her without even knowing if she would be willing to return his feelings.

"The thing is," Harry finally continued, "you just seem to 'get' me better than anyone else ever has and you're, well… strong enough to stand up to me when I'm being a git."

"Well, that's definitely a handy trait when I'm around you!" Ginny interrupted, with a mischievous smile that softened her words.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled, while rubbing the back of his neck, "I reckon it is! Still, that's something that neither your brother nor Hermione can do for me and I really need that sometimes. I've had a lot of time to think about this and I think, maybe it's because you and I share something that neither of them do," he looked steadily into her eyes at this point.

"Do… do you mean…?"

"Yeah," Harry continued softly as he reached out and took her free hand in both of his, "neither of them has had their lives touched by Voldemort. Not directly the way we both have."

Ginny swallowed and looked away but Harry maintained his grip and squeezed her hand gently. "I… I kind of think that that can help me understand you too, Ginny, in ways that no other bloke will ever really be able to understand you."

With this declaration, Ginny felt like the walls she had not even known she put around her feelings for Harry start to crumble, just a bit. She knew that with both her other relationships she had always held something of herself back. Secretly, she had always been afraid that if they knew the darker parts of her past they would judge her and find her tainted or unworthy and reject her. Yet, Harry knew her past and what's more he understood, like not even her family or closest friends would ever be able to. Yet he still thought she was someone special, someone worth caring about, someone he wanted in his life.

Ginny started to realized that perhaps she had not really put her feelings for Harry behind her as much as she had believed. "You… you may be right about that, Harry. I've certainly never talked to either of my boyfriends about my first year here at Hogwarts."

"Like you told me last summer, Ginny," Harry quietly told her while looking into her eyes again, "Sometimes you need to talk about things that trouble you. I know that with my life I need someone that can listen when I need to talk, and there's no one that can do that for me better than you. But more than that, I'd like to be able to do the same for you when you need it. I know you're strong, Ginny, you've shown me that time and again. Another thing you've shown me, though, is that you don't always have to be strong alone. I think sometimes maybe two people together can be stronger than either of them are apart."

The atmosphere at the table seemed to be charged with magic as the two teens stared into each other's eyes. Gently, Ginny pulled her one hand out of Harry's grip and then took both his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together on top of the table. Hesitantly, Harry started to lean across the table. Without thinking Ginny leaned forward, too, and they both closed their eyes as their lips touched for the first time. It was a soft, gentle kiss, but both of them felt like strong emotions were flowing through that tentative connection.

"Wow!" Harry said with a sense of reverence as he opened his eyes again and sat back in his chair. His first kiss with Cho had never been anything like that!

"Uh, yeah… wow!" said Ginny as she too sat back and tried to collect herself. She was hardly inexperienced at kissing and had snogged both her boyfriends much more thoroughly than this in the past. Still, none of those kisses, enjoyable as they had been, had seemed to touch her heart the way this first kiss with Harry had.

"Maybe the middle of the Three Broomsticks isn't exactly the right place," Harry said, looking around to see if anyone was watching them, "but I would really like to do that again."

"Yeah," Ginny replied without thinking, "I think that maybe I would like that, too."

"So, what does this mean, Ginny?" Harry asked her, hopefully.

The young redhead shook herself, "I… I'm not sure, Harry" she replied, looking away for a moment. She felt him stiffened and start to pull his hands away, but she gripped them tighter and stopped him.

Looking back at his disappointed expression, she continued, "Harry, you know I had that horrible school girl crush on you when I was younger. Not only did that hurt when you didn't even notice me," she held up one hand to stop the retort she saw the retort forming on his lips, "but it made me… less that I should have been. Even back then, I had always thought of myself as a strong and independent young girl. I could stand up to Ron's temper, I could give as good as I got with the twins and their pranks, I wasn't even afraid to teach myself to fly a broom when the whole family told me I was 'too young' for it," she made a sour face at this statement. "When I was around you, though, it was like I was another person. I had problems even staying in the same room, let alone talking."

As her hand dropped, Harry took that as permission to respond so he said, "Ginny, first I want to say that I did notice you, but… well, I was only a year older myself and I just didn't know how to deal to you. I never had anyone besides your brother and Hermione that ever seemed to really like me for just me, so I just wasn't sure what to do when you acted that way. I'm sorry I responded by just not doing _anything_ but I was a clueless boy and I just didn't know any better," he sighed.

"As far as being less of a person around me… I guess I can understand what you mean about how you were back in those days, but surely you realize how much you've grown since then? I think it has to be obvious to everyone else. Well, except maybe your brother Ron," he added the last under his breath. "You certainly have no problems speaking your mind to me now!" he finished, with a slightly cheeky grin.

This brought a tiny smile to lips as she took a swipe at him with her free hand. "Yeah," she said, "but what's to say that I won't go back to acting like that silly little girl, if I was to start liking you that way again?"

"Honestly, Ginny," he answered, looking her in the eyes, "I just can't see the strong, feisty, confident young woman sitting here in front of me ever turning back into a silly, stammering school girl."

Ginny sat silently in thought for a moment, at least a tiny bit pleased by Harry's flattering description of her. All the more so as she knew how clueless Harry was about flirting and empty complements. If he said something like that, he really believed it.

She finally had to admit that no matter how much she might deny it, even when she had been going out with first Michael and then later with Dean, there had been that small, hidden part of her heart that still longed for Harry. Was he right, though? Was she strong enough now, mature enough now, to have a real relationship with her childhood crush? Could she let him inside her defenses and yet still remain herself? Could she still be the sort of strong, independent witch she wanted to be and at the same time be Harry Potter's girlfriend? She rolled this question over in her mind.

They both sat for a while in silence, holding hands and sharing the warmth of the nearby fireplace until Harry noticed Madam Rosmerta making her way over to where they sat. He quickly pulled his wand out under the table and cancelled his privacy spell before she reached them.

"Would you two dears like something to eat now? I've got a nice batch of stew back in the kitchen or maybe another couple mugs of butterbeer?" she asked them.

As it was finally lunch time, and feeling that now was not the time to press the redhead for an answer, Harry looked over at Ginny and when she nodded her assent, he replied, "Yeah, that sounds great. How about two big bowls of stew and a couple more mugs of butterbeer?"

"Coming right up!" she agreed before turning and walking back to the kitchen behind the bar. She returned a moment latter levitating a platter with two bowls of stew, two mugs of butterbeer, and a loaf of crusty bread.

When they smelled the savory aroma of the stew, the couple realized how hungry they both were and eagerly started eating their lunch. After sopping up the last of the delicious stew with their bread, the two sat back and continued talking quietly about school and their friends. Ginny suddenly realized that here she was, sitting with Harry and talking with him like a normal teenage couple. She had held hands with him and even kissed him today without falling apart or becoming overcome with embarrassment. Harry was right, she could do this!

Finally, a look of determination coming over her face, Ginny said, "Harry, I think I've made a decision."

"Y-yeah?" he answered nervously.

Reaching across the table again, she recaptured Harry's hands and looked him in the eye. "I think… I think I would like to give us a try, Harry. I reckon you're right about me being different than I was, and after the things you told me today I feel like I want to prove you right."

"That's brilliant, Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, his whole face lighting up. Squeezing her hands gently he looked down for a moment before he asked, "Well, if we are going to try being boyfriend and girlfriend, do you think we could try that kissing again?"

As they both blushed at Harry's suggestion, she chuckled and replied, "I think that may just be something we can do."

Sliding his chair around the small table until he could put one arm around the back of her chair, the two teenagers leaned towards each other and their lips touched again. Still a bit uncertain, Harry didn't press to deepen the kiss but both of them relaxed into it a little more than before. Pulling back for a moment, Harry looked into her warm, chocolate eyes for permission and then they continued their slow, gentle exploration of each other's mouths.

After a while, though, Harry pulled back this time with a worried look on his face.

"Something wrong, Harry?" asked Ginny, a note of concern in her voice.

"I just realized, Ron thinks I'm here with you today to keep the other blokes away from you. What's he going to say when he finds out I did that by asking you to be _my_ girlfriend?" he replied, a nervous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, that's what he thinks, does he?" she asked, pulling away from the arm resting on the back of her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well," Harry continued, sounding a bit nervous at Ginny's reaction, "I'm not sure exactly where he got that idea. It's not like I told him I was going with you just to keep an eye on you. I just didn't exactly tell him we were going on a date together."

She relaxed a bit at his response, "Well, I reckon we'll find out soon enough, won't we? Unless, that is you want to keep this a secret…?"

"No, Ginny! I don't want to have to sneak around with you. I'm certainly not embarrassed to be seen with you, I know that I'm one lucky bloke to have someone like you as a girlfriend."

This seemed to be the right answer, as Ginny relaxed the rest of the way and resumed holding Harry's hand on the table and even leaned forward to give him another quick kiss. After that, they spent the rest of the afternoon in the warmth of the pub, sipping their butterbeer, holding hands, and talking about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other's company.

* * *

><p>Late that day, the new couple was finally walking up the high street on their way back to the school. Harry has still not gotten over the newness of the situation and had a silly grin on his face as he shyly held Ginny's hand. Noticing someone looking at them, the redhead bumped into his shoulder and nodded across the street to owl Post Office. In front of the building stood Dean Thomas and his friend Seamus Finnegan. Thomas was glaring daggers at Harry while his friend nervously pretended to be interested in the old notices posted on a bulletin board next to the door.<p>

"Better watch it, Potter." Ginny said with a smirk. "You may end up with Ron and Dean teaming up against _you_ this time."

"Like I said before, Weasley," he airily replied, "It will take more than a couple of prats to get me to give up on something as good in my life as you."

The couple continued down the street, Harry chuckling as Ginny's cheeks turned a bright pink that had nothing to do with the cold.

**End**


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